Mop bucket



Aug. 26, 1958 H. M. MARcusE 2,

' MOP BUCKET Filed June 17, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. HARRY M. MARCUSE Aug. 26, 1958 H. M. MARCUSE MOP BUCKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 17, 1957 INVENTOR. HARRY MARCUSE United States Patent MOP BUCKET Harry M. Marcuse, Seattle, Wash. Application June 17, 1957, Serial No. 665,892

2 Claims. (Cl. 21938) ThlS present invention relates to the general art of mop and cleaning bucket, and more particularly to a mop bucket that is mounted, for convenience in moving, on suitable casters and is further provided with electric heating means so that the user is independent of local hot water sources. This equipment is especially useful in floor maintenance, washing windows, automobiles and pets. Janitors and others employed in the maintenance of floors have always had considerable difliculty in their work in that, while it is well known that hot water is more effective in cleaning, particularly grimy floors and the like, than cold water, it has always been difiicult to maintain a source of hot water in close proximity to the work. There are a great number of commercial facilities, such as service stations and the like, where no provlsion is made for hot water. Also, even in the better ofiice buildings and especially in commercial establishments, factories and the like, while there may be sources of hot water, they often are at quite a distance from the point where they are needed. Even though the workman secures an initial supply of hot water, it will not maintain its temperature very long.

In this present invention it is believed that a very practical solution of a perplexing problem has been achieved, in that the mop bucket is of substantial size and mounted on suitable casters for easy handling. With this arrangement water, which may be cold to start with, normally can be brought up to useful temperature with electrical means during the time that the janitor is picking up floor items, moving furniture and the like, in preparation for mopping the floors. When he starts his mopping work, it is very desirable indeed that the water he maintained at a reasonably high temperature, even though it has been spread out to a degree on the cold floor and cooled before it is again picked up by the 1110p and returned largely to the mop bucket. This present mop bucket is believed to meet the requirements for this rather exacting service and to do it in a manner more acceptable than any of the equipment so far inspected for this purpose.

The principal object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide an electrically heated mop bucket that can be made in reasonable capacity and is provided with convenient means for moving it to the work.

A further object of this invention is to provide electric heating means for a mop bucket, so that the water used in mopping floors and the like can be maintained at a high temperature that has been found best for this particular service.

A further object of thi invention is to provide perforated baffle means in the bottom of the mop bucket so as to insure that the mop will not become entangled with the electric heating elements, and further to provide a collecting chamber, in effect, so that dirt, grit and the like that may be picked up off of floors during the mopping operation can settle through the perforations into the bottom compartment of the bucket where it will be ice maintained and not recirculated through the water and again deposited on the floors.

Further objects, advantages and capabilities will be apparent from the description and disclosure in the drawings, or may be comprehended or are inherent in the device.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view illustrating a preferred embodiment of this present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through a mop bucket of the structure shown in Figure 1, the section being taken substantially through the longitudinal axis of the bucket, as along the main vertical plane embracing the line Z2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of a mop bucket made after the showing of Figure 1.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate modified forms of electric heating elements which have been found desirable in certain types of work.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the electric connector element which has combined with it a thermostatic device for maintaining any adjusted temperature in the water.

Referring more particularly to the disclosure in the drawings, the numeral 10 designates the body of my bucket. For mopping purposes, this is best made in an oval or elongated form, as viewed in plan, to the end that it is possible to more thoroughly wash out the mop when some movement can be given to it. The bucket is provided with the more or less conventional bail 12, so that the bucket can be easily carried about, particularly when it is empty. Body Ill is provided with a plurality of casters 14, so that it may be wheeled about easily when filled. This normally is most easily achieved by resting the head of the mop in the bucket and merely using it to guide and propel the caster supported bucket over the floor.

Disposed near the bottom of the bucket, but spaced above the actual bottom, is the eelctrical heating element 20. This element must of course follow the general principles of immersion type electric heaters and is preferably formed of coiled resistance wire which is suitably insulated from a copper tube which encloses the same. The ends of the copper tubing are led to a point outside the bucket, so that there can never be any danger of the actual electrical heating element itself becoming immersed in water, with the attendant danger of short-circuiting and also electric current leakage and the like.

In buckets of smaller size adapted to hold up to 8 or 10 gallons of water, the narrow U-shaped element shown in Figures 1 and 2 has proven very satisfactory. The inboard end of the U-shaped element 20 is supported as at 22 so as to insure being spaced above the bottom 24 of bucket 10. This is a most desirable arrangement, in that it will give a certain depth in the bottom of the bucket, which will in turn accommodate sediment and the like picked up from floors in the mopping operation. If this sediment enclosed the element 20, it would tend to lessen its efficiency as a water heater and also make the bucket more difficult to clean. The opposite end of element 20 is supported by, preferably, ceramic or plastic fittings, so that the entire heating element will be parallel to the bottom of the bucket, and suitable and safe electrical contacts made outside of the bucket itself. In this unit are provided the bayonet ends 26 of the heating element, which in turn are adapted to receive the female electrical connector 28.

The terminal arrangement shown at 38 provides preferably a flanged unit as 32. Within the exteriorly mounted plug connector is a spirally disposed bimetallic thermostatic element 40 which may be suitably adjusted by the pressure screw 42, so that the thermostat will conmeet or disconnect the heating element from the electrical source and maintain the water in the bucket at the pre-set temperature. The temperature of the Water is sensed by the copper tubing of element 20 and conducted to the thermostat by it. The flanged element 32 is employed in order to compress the gasket 34 and insure a tight joint that Will prevent any leakage of the water through this opening made in the bucket proper. It is desirable to have a threaded member as 36 and an angle washer 37 which coact to apply the pressure to gasket 34 and which, when it isunscrewed, will permit lifting the element 20 up and out of the bucket. This form is to be preferred in order that alternate types of electric heating elements, such as shown as an oval in Figure 4 or an oval form in which a return-bent portion 50 is provided so that, particularly in the larger buckets, adequate distribution of the heat will be effected to accommodate various voltages etc.

Disposed above and spaced from the heating element 20 by suitable supporting means i a perforated bafile plate 52. This plate, in addition to having a large number of perforations a 54, is provided with suitable large perforations as 56, so that the fingers can be put through these and the baflle lifted out for the purpose of flushing out any sediment and the like that may have been trapped under the battle in the space provided by it.

In order to provide the maximum safety in operating this equipment, it is preferred to cover the exterior electric heating connector parts and thermostat by enclosing the same in a rubber or neoprene shield 60. Thi shield is preferably provided with a flanged portion as 62, which can be suitably secured to the exterior of bucket 10, either by a compression flange or, in most cases, by merely bonding the rubber material to the outside surface of the bucket.

It is understood that the essential elements noted, may be supplied, in kit form, so that they may be applied to any suitable bucket.

It is believed that it will be clearly apparent from the above description and the disclosure in the drawings that the invention comprehends a novel construction of a mop kit.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. An electrically heated mop bucket, comprising: an elongated mop bucket formed of rust proofed material; a plurality of supporting castors secured directly to said bucket; an electrical heating element adapted to be disposed parallel to and above the inner surface of the hottom of said bucket; demountable means for securing said element in place in a manner to seal the mounting opening in thebucket and further to permit convenient removal of the element from the bucket; a perforated baffle plate or screen disposed above said element and adapted to provide a chamber for the collection of sediment and to prevent the mop from entering said chamber; thermostatic means for controlling the temperature of the water in the bucket and shielding means to protect the electrical means disposed outside of said bucket from water and the like which may be spilled during a mopping operation.

2. An electrically heated mop bucket, comprising: a mop bucket formed with sloping sides; bucket supporting means secured directly to said bucket; an electrical heating element having a metal covering, and adapted to be disposed parallel to and above the inner surface of the bottom of said bucket; demountable means for securing said element in place in a manner to seal the mounting opening in the bucket and further to permit convenient removal of the element from the bucket, said demountable means comprising a dielectric member having an integral flange adapted to substantially fit the inside of the bucket and a spindle portion passing through the wall of the bucket, washer means adapted to fit the outside wall of the bucket disposed on said spindle and a compression nut threadedly engaging said spindle in a man- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,109,212 Ehrgott Feb. 22, 1938 2,274,930 Newton Mar. 3, 1942 2,392,208 Wilken Jan. 1, 1946 2,471,259 Chapman May 24, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 732,855 Great Britain June 29, 1955 886,047 France June 21, 1943 

